- IKEA is facing scrutiny over its wood sourcing practices after two damning reports linked the furniture giant to destructive logging in some of Europe’s last ancient forests.
- The investigations by Greenpeace and fellow environmental groups Agent Green and the Bruno Manser Fonds focus on IKEA’s procurement of wood from ecologically sensitive areas in Romania’s Carpathian Mountains.
- Inter IKEA Group, the franchisor responsible for the IKEA supply chain, and Ingka told Mongabay they “strongly disagree” with the findings and that the operations complied with national and European laws.
IKEA is under scrutiny over its wood sourcing practices after two reports linked the furniture giant to destructive logging in some of Europe’s last ancient forests.
The recent investigations, conducted separately by Greenpeace and fellow environmental groups Agent Green and the Bruno Manser Fonds (BMF), focus on IKEA’s procurement of wood from ecologically sensitive areas in Romania’s Carpathian Mountains. Both reports argue that IKEA’s actions contradict its public commitments to sustainability.
As the largest private forest owner in the Eastern European country, IKEA, through its franchisee Ingka Investments, holds approximately 51,000 hectares (126,000 acres) of land in Romania.
The authors of the reports voiced concerns about IKEA’s role as a major furniture retailer, arguing that evidence suggests the company prioritizes wood extraction over responsible forest management.
Inter IKEA Group, the franchisor responsible for the IKEA supply chain, and Ingka told Mongabay they “strongly disagree” with the findings and that the operations complied with national and European laws.
The dispute erupted after Agent Green and BMF last week published a report alleging a “consistent pattern of destructive logging” in nine forest areas – seven owned by Ingka and two public forest lands linked to IKEA’s supply chain.
Using official documents and visits to logging sites, the researchers recorded over 50 suspected violations of forestry laws and poor management practices. These included biodiverse woodlands razed to the ground, intensive felling carried out without environmental assessments, and soil degradation from tractor roads used by loggers.
Most of the study sites fully or partially overlapped with EU protected areas, according to Agent Green and BMF.
Presenting the findings at a press conference in Bucharest, Agent Green president Gabriel Păun had stern words for the flatpack furniture behemoth, which he dubbed “the tree hunter”.
“Removing entire forests in a short period of time is a matter of urgency for IKEA,” he said. “The entity disregards both the written laws and the unwritten ways of nature.
“IKEA does not practice what they preach regardless of whether it is the European Union nature directives, Romanian national legislation, or the FSC forest certification standard. But as a company with revenues of billions of Euros and Romania’s largest private forest owner, [IKEA and Ingka] should be an example of best practice.”
Inter IKEA Group said their review found “no wrongdoings”.
“The mentioned suppliers followed legislation, and all operations are registered in the national traceability system SUMAL,” a spokesperson said in an email.
Romanian authorities had approved the logging in protected areas, the spokesperson added.
In a statement, Ingka said: “We are confident in our forestry practices and have rigorous processes in place to safeguard the forestland we operate.
“Our forest management practices are structured to ensure compliance with the highest environmental standards, including the EU Habitats Directive.”
Agent Green, BMF and Ingka are scheduled to meet in June to discuss the findings.
A Greenpeace investigation published the week prior painted a similarly damning picture of IKEA’s wood consumption.
It implicated seven suppliers, who together produce popular IKEA products like Ingolf chairs and Sniglar baby cribs, to the destruction of ecologically precious forests. Two sites formed part of the EU’s Natura 2000 network of protected areas.
Greenpeace said it had traced furniture from these manufacturers to IKEA stores in 13 countries including France, Germany, and the UK.
“Our nature heritage can’t be turned into pieces of furniture,” said Greenpeace campaigner Robert Cyglicki. “Old forests are vital to the planet’s health and must be immediately protected.”
In a statement to Mongabay, the Inter IKEA Group spokesperson said: “We cannot accept the allegations in this report, as it appears that there is confusion based on different interpretations of ‘old forests’ and ‘Old-Growth Forests’.”
“The sourcing practices outlined in Greenpeace’s report are legal and adhere to both local and EU regulations.”
Both reports also highlight the inadequacy of current protection measures for primary or old-growth forests in Romania, where deep-rooted corruption complicates monitoring efforts.
“The EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030 requires EU countries to strictly protect at least 10% of their territory and partially protect at least 30%,” Agent Green and BMF’s report states, adding that Ingka’s figures in Romania are 1% and 8%, respectively.
BMF campaigner Ines Gavrilut said: “It is high time that IKEA started to apply its declared sustainability goals.
“IKEA could do so much good if it really wanted to set a good example as a forest owner, administrator, and large wood consumer in Romania and beyond.
“Needs could also be covered without resorting to destructive logging, without converting natural forests into plantations – but this requires tackling difficult issues such as the core of IKEA’s business model of ‘fast furniture’.”
Ikea faces Swiss complaint over wood believed to have been illegally logged
Banner image: Logging site in Romania’s Carpathian Mountains. Image by Agent Green / Bruno Manser Fonds.
Feedback: Use this form to send a message to the author of this post. If you want to post a public comment, you can do that at the bottom of the page.
